The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-17

A GREAT TRUNK LINE RUNNING
Down HILL
From the Alleghanie, to Memphis
The Railroad Development
Of the State.

isPsciAL ceRRAsreSpHNoz o. TIE ArrsAL.l
EAsnvIALs, TENN, April 16.-At no
period in the history Of Tennessee has
the prospect for material and indus
trisl development been so great as
now. The prospect for the construc-
ton OF the Tennessee Midland rail-
road hes excited more favorable COM
ment in the Middle and Eastern d.
visions Of the State than any enter
prise that has been inaugurated since
the war, or perhaps at any time in the
history Of the State. 1t Is the only
railroad ev Pre- ected In the Safe
that Immediately at scted every Gee.
ton; and II has this other distinguish
ing feature OF being the only railroad
ever seriously projected which had
for its object the development OF It's
material resources. / say teriously
because the construction oil this
liue Of road has been advocated
from time 10 time for the past forty
years by some Of our most prominent
and ssgacious citiz'ns, but hitherto
the Cumberland Mountains have been
considered an insurmountable barrier
10 the undertaking. The fact Is the eal-
" settlers OF Tennessee never took into
consideration the material resources OF
the State, but were invited to its rich
and fertile valleys. The tide OF immi-
grafton first struck the rich valleys OF
Eat Tennessee, and rapidly settled
that portion OF the State. As soon
ms the agricultural lands we're
taken up the tide OF immigration
crossed the Cumberland Mountains,
then considered an inh ospltsble and
barren waste, and found still more
inviting region for agriculture in
THE RICH BASIN or MIDDLE TENNESSEE,
and 1t was rapidly settled by the hardy
pioneers, OF whom Jackson wss the
most distinguished prototype. In the
march west ward the hill country along
the Tennessee river, Notwithstanding
Il has many rich coves and valleys,
was unattTaotive, and the plor esr
sought the more genial and productive
soil OF West Tennessee and soon grew
rich In the production OF cotton. There
Ia no fact more illustrative Of the
obliviousness OF our ancestors TO the
material wealth OF the State than the
inscription on It's great seal. The
words Agriculture and Commerce"
have volume oil historical meaning,
and show that its founders
never supposed that 1t would
become q great manufacturing
State. In those days it was
diahcuh 10 get TO market. The priv
cipal rivers were tortuous and Ia
places uunavigabls. The result was
that goods were hauled in wagons
over the mountains from Philadel-
phia and Baltimore. Being central
" interior State, Tennessee was mac
eessable, and II was difficult to get to
or from market. How TO get In and
out OF the State WAS the hrst question
that absorbed our people when rail.
road construction was first contem
plated. As far back as 1887 the Gen
eral Assembly began TO consider an
elaborate system Of Internal improve
ments. During the administrator
Of Gov. James X. Polk theSBysten
was under consideration, but wa
never perfected until the In
ttInhl luplONNuthb aVs VI 100
was pas ed. Under this system, b.
means OF STATE aid, county, city snC
town subscriptions ard exemption
from taxation, the East Tennessee
the Nashville and Chat anooga, tn,
Louisville and Nashville, The Nash
vile and Northwestern, the Memphi
and Charleston, the Louisville an'
Memphis, tbs Illinois Central and IN
Mobile and Ohio railroads were rapid
" built. The credit Of the State wa
lavshly extended, to its detriment
be 1t said, until the State had cor
tracted an enc mous indebtedness
amounting at one time TO $40 000, Coz
1t is singular fact that, notwitf
standing the avlsh aid Of the Statl
not only in lending it's bonds, but
RxKxrrINa ALL THEsE ROADS FRO
TAXATION,
not one Of them was built with the d.
align of developing its resources, whic
are now admitted to be inferior {
those OF no other State In the UnioI
Tennessee ia by far the longest Stat
east OF the Mississippi river and one
the narrowest While only aboI
100 miles In width, 1t extends east au
west dis'anc OF about 800 mile
While natural barriers intervene b.
tween the three grand divisions OF IL
State, there are many vale!
and easy grades across 1t. i
gress and egrees merely for Il
purposes OF trade and travel SCENE
TO be the only idea controlling Il
construction OF the railr ad system !
Tennessee. II the engineers layiT
them ont have done so under instru
tons to avoid "a far az practical y
hidden W, alth OF the State, the won
have located these roads just whel
they are. Owing to the causltiss al
devastations OF the civil war aud u
unstinted and profigate use Of Il
States credit in promoting all sorts
railroad schemes, there came q gre
Tevulsion in public sentiment in !
Bpect to railroads. The ocks al
bonds which prior to the war we
largely held by the people Of Il
State, were either lost during the W
or sold coon afterwards in the msrke
OF Northern cities In order to provi,
the meanB OF subsistence. The rest
was the people Of Tennessee lost toe
identity with the railroads Of d
State,ard events recent in our histoI
partly growing out of their mAnae
ment by owners not identified wi
the State, and partly rowing out
the State debt incurred in their GO
structiOn, rendered them unpop
lar. Under these influences
TIE O)EsTIIUTIoN oF-lS70
wss adopted, which not only deni
10 the State all power to aid in {
construction Of railroads, but deni
TO counties, cities and incorporat
towns the power to aid them exec
by thfee-fOurths CT the votes csst at
election held for the purpose OF {
termining the question. 1t also pl
vided that there should be no me
exemptions, 80 that while all the c
companies Heretofore chartered {
jnyed an indemnity from taxation
period Of not lees than twenty yea